Philadelphia 76ers 'not looking to trade' Simmons or Embiid

The Philadelphia 76ers are not looking to trade Ben Simmons or Joel Embiid following their elimination from the NBA playoffs, general manager Elton Brand said.

Head coach Brett Brown was sacked after the 76ers were swept 4-0 by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the postseason and the team is reportedly looking at further changes to the front office.

However, Brand has no plan to move on from either of the All-Star duo of Simmons and Embiid.

"I'm not looking to trade Ben or Joel, I'm looking to complement them better," said Brand. "They are 24 and 26 years old respectively, you try to make that fit as long as you can.

"They want to be here, they want to be with our organisation, and I see them here for a long, long time."

Simmons sat out the playoffs after suffering a subluxation in the left knee at the NBA bubble in Orlando and Embiid was unable to inspire a deep run that could have seen his team-mate return to the court.

Both players are under contract for at least the next three seasons and Brand plans to discuss with them how they feel the team should look going forward.

Brand acknowledged that 'The Process', the nickname given to the period in which Philadelphia rebuilt by tanking and acquiring draft capital, could now be deemed a failure.

"It didn't produce the results we expected. It's a results-based business and we're trying to right those wrongs and make sure we do better," he said.

"Currently, yes, we failed. But are we going to do everything to position ourselves to win? Yes."

NEWSBrett Brown has been relieved of his head coaching duties.: https://t.co/bNKQXcQxXn
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) August 24, 2020

A key factor in the Sixers' path forward will be the appointment of a new head coach, so Brand will not make a hasty decision.

He said: "We're not going to be in a rush because this is a pivotal point for our organisation. We're at a crossroads right now, so this hire is extremely important. There's not going to be a rush.

"All options are open. No one is in the lead, but I look forward to these interviews because there are going to be some talented people out there."

A lack of perimeter shooting has been a persistent issue for the 76ers, while Al Horford failed to gel with Embiid after arriving on a four-year, $109million contract.

Asked if Horford can fit into the line-up, Brand said: "That's for the next coach to make that decision and determination on how the line-ups work.

"Al Horford can fit on an NBA-calibre championship team. Whatever that role is, we're going to have to figure it out. But he can fit."

Published 25 Aug 2020, 23:28 IST